Adrien Bakes A Cake
by wonderbugs
Summary: For Father's Day, clueless Adrien tries to impress his father with the help of his awkward just-a-friend, Marinette.
1. It's A Date?

Like many before her, Marinette was skilled in the art of playing it cool. Unless it came to Adrien. As she and her friend Alya approached the blond heartthrob of her pink-bubbled dreams, Marinette was propelled into the cliche world of intensified feminine clumsiness.

It was girl meets floor.

Picking herself up and dusting herself off, Marinette straightened and flashed an embarrassed smile. Beside her, Alya shook her head endearingly with a chuckle. "Very smooth," she teased.

"Thanks," Marinette answered sarcastically.

"Don't worry," said Alya, an encouraging fist in the air. "You can do it!"

Marinette returned the gesture, her spirit with resolve and confidence. Yes, she _can_ do it. She _will_ ask Adrien out. Right now! Just need to get over there.

One step. Two steps. Three. Almost there. Baby steps.

When she was just a few steps behind him, Marinette cleared her throat. "Adrien?"

Turning, Adrien stopped in mid-conversation with none other than Chloe Bourgeois, the prized student of making-others-get-akumatised school. She glared at Marinette, blue eyes as cold as those of ice zombies. But how could Marinette notice those daggers for eyes when she was being given the attention of her one and only beloved Adrien?

She gulped and cleared her throat again. She looked up at Adrien and found herself unable to speak. Thankfully, it was Adrien who broke the silence.

"Hi Marinette," he said warmly.

Marinette looked down at her feet, feeling shy and flustered and tingly. "Hi," she replied shyly.

"What's up?"

"I... I was wondering..."

"Oh speak up, will you!" Chloe chimed from behind Adrien. He turned towards her, startled. Then, he broke into a smile and calmly said, "Chloe, I'd love to hear all about your weekend with your mum. Fill me in tomorrow?"

Chloe looked up at Adrien with sparkling eyes. "Ok, Adrikins!"

"Bye," he said, waving and accepting a hug from her. Chloe didn't even bother giving Marinette the stink eye as she walked off - she was over the moon at the prospect of having a friend to share her happy memories with.

Marinette smiled, looking at Chloe's retreating back. As terrible as she is, Marinette believed that Chloe was a good person deep down. Deep, deep down. And it was Adrien who made her see that.

"You always see the good in everyone, Adrien," she said softly.

Adrien looked taken aback, a blush creeping up on his embarrassed face. He laughed nervously. "Everyone has good in them," he said, shrugging.

"Yea," Marinette smiled. She wanted to say more. She wanted to tell him how she admired him for believing in everyone, and for not giving up on them even when things go bad. She wanted to tell him that he's amazing.

Marinette took a deep breath and looked up into Adrien's eyes. But, something seemed off. Though he was smiling, he seemed... sad. Marinette's nervousness dissipated and was immediately replaced with concern.

"Adrien," she began. "Are you alright?"

Adrien looked shocked again. Recovering quickly, he smiled and laughed. "I am," he said, not meeting her eyes.

Marinette looked at him sadly. She reached out and gently placed her hand on Adrien's arm. Sighing, Adrien dropped his practiced smile and looked down. "It's silly," he began. "Chloe is going to tell me about her weekend with her mum, right? When we were talking just now, she was saying how their relationship is slowly getting better. And I... I wished it were true for me and my father, too."

"I'm so sorry."

"If only there was something I could do."

"Oh!" Marinette exclaimed. "Father's Day is coming up, right?"

"Yes, every year I buy a gift for him. I get advice from his assistant and my bodyguard on what to get. But he never seems to be impressed," Adrien sighed.

Marinette's shoulders slumped. Her heart was breaking at knowing that Adrien was in so much pain. "Wish fixing things would just be piece of cake," muttered Adrien.

"Cake!"

"Cake?"

"You could get him cake!"

Adrien considered this. "I suppose that would be nice. Everybody loves cake."

"And it would mean so much more if you made it!"

"Me?"

"You."

"I can't bake."

"Oh."

"But you can."

"I can? I can!"

"Could you teach me?"

Marinette blinked. "S-sure!"

Adrien beamed at her. Taking her hand in his, he squeezed them tightly and smiled through tears. "Thank you. This year is going to be different, I know it. Because I have you."

If it were not for Adrien holding onto her hands, Marinette would have tripped over nothing and fallen face flat on the school grounds. After arranging a baking session tomorrow, Adrien thanked Marinette again and headed off for his Chinese class.

Marinette remained where he had left her, frozen from the whirlwind of everything that suddenly and somehow happened. Alya, who had been watching from a distance, ran up to Marinette.

"Looked like it went really well! Got yourself a date?" she asked, beaming.

Marinette gave her a sheepish smile. "Kind of?"

"What do you mean?" Alya asked, eyebrow raised.

Marinette scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. "I'm helping him bake a cake for Father's Day."

Upon hearing that, Alya looked stunned for a moment before laughing. "You know what, I'll take it. Well done, girl."

"Heh heh," Marinette chuckled. "Well done."


	2. Vanilla Cake

There it was.

A cake.

A red velvet, three layered, covered with cream cheese and topped with chocolate frosting cake.

It was, quite simply, perfection.

Adrien was in tears.

"Um, hey, you ok?" Marinette asked, placing a timid hand on his shoulder.

Adrien sniffled and hastily wiped away those pesky tears building up in his eyes. He flashed her a million dollar smile. "Yeah, yeah!" he said, very enthusiastically. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Marinette blinked at him. "It's just... it looked like you were crying looking at the cake my parents baked."

"HAHA," Adrien laughed loudly and nervously. Marinette gave him a strange look, then laughed at him, amused.

After a pause, Adrien laughed too at his absurdity. "I'm sorry," he said between laughs. "I'm just really passionate about food."

"It's alright," said Marinette with a smile.

The two friends were standing opposite each other in the Dupain-Cheng's bakery. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and the early light streamed in softly through the windows, casting a golden glow in the room and everything in it. The bakery wasn't yet open, as the sun had only risen several minutes ago. Adrien had a busy day ahead, with modelling and Chinese class, so he was ever so grateful to Marinette and her family for accommodating to his ungodly schedule. Even if it meant not being able to sleep in on a weekend morning.

He was about to express his gratitude once more, but then remembered how Marinette's ears and cheeks had turned bright red, and how she waved her hand frantically, dismissing his thank yous. He smiled to himself - she was such a humble and wonderful friend.

"Are you excited?" Marinette asked, gesturing at him to follow her into the kitchen at the back.

"Yes! Very much," Adrien responded, almost bouncing on his feet as he trailed behind her. He wasn't much of an earlier riser, but he felt very awake and ready to take on the day. And besides, he didn't realise how utterly beautiful the dawn was until today.

"So, what are we making?"

Marinette turned to him with a wide smile. "We're making... vanilla cake!"

Adrien tried not to show his disappointment. "Vanilla cake!"

Marinette laughed as she gathered the supplies and ingredients. She moved about the kitchen with grace and ease, something Adrien rarely sees in her at school. "It's alright if you think it's too plain."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be! Because we're not just making any vanilla cake," Marinette said with a grin. She stood opposite Adrien, with the kitchen's island separating them. She leaned over, prompting Adrien to do the same. With a smile, she said, "We're making _my_ vanilla cake!"

Adrien smiled too upon hearing that.

"Don't be deceived at things that look simple and plain. With love and care, it can surprise you with its multitudes of complexities and beauty,"said Marinette with a thoughtful grin. "Just you wait, Adrien Agreste, we're going to bake ourselves the best vanilla cake your father has ever, and will ever, taste."

* * *

It took a great deal of concentration and effort from Adrien to get it right. It wasn't rocket science, but it wasn't a walk in the park either. Baking was tough.

"Anyone can bake," said Marinette encouragingly.

With a smile, Adrien trudged on. He was surprised to find that Marinette's vanilla cake was extraordinarily complex. Raspberries and more were added into the mix, each layer different from the one before.

When the layers were finally placed into the oven, Adrien heaved a sigh as he sat on a stool in the kitchen. Marinette looked on worriedly. Sensing her anxiousness, Adrien assured her with a smile. "I'm having fun, really I am. I'm just so happy. I've never done anything like this before."

Marinette smiled, sitting next to him.

"All the things I do - fencing, piano, Chinese - it's all because my father told me to do it. I've never done anything that I wanted. I'm like a puppet, with no life of my own," said Adrien bitterly.

"Oh," Marinette whispered sadly. After a moment, she lit up. "That's not true! You were homeschooled before. But you wanted to go to a normal school and make friends. And now you're here. You did it all by yourself!"

Adrien chuckled, "I suppose so."

From the corner of his eye, Adrien saw Marinette hesitating. She bit her lip, then, with a look of determination on her flour-covered face, she reached out and placed her hand on Adrien's. With a warm smile, she said, "You're our vanilla cake."

Adrien blinked, then smiled. He turned his hand to hold Marinette's. Squeezing it gently, he thanked her for the thousandth time that morning.


	3. Thank you, again

"Happy Father's Day... I love you."

Adrien stood in the cold chambers of his home before his father, a looming presence over him. No matter how far away he drifts, Adrien would always reach out and keep them together as best as he can. He had tried many ways to preserve their bond, and today, he brought with him a cake.

The special vanilla cake he had made with his friend, Marinette.

Gabriel Agreste, a cold and stern-looking man, stared at his son, then at the cake between them. "What is this?" he asked incredulously.

"It's a cake. I baked it for you, father!" Adrien said kindly.

His father studied the cake. It was simple, yet refined and elegant. The whiteness of the frosting and the carefully arranged raspberries on the top of the cake mildly impressed him.

Gabriel loved his son, there was no doubt about it. Everything he did, he did for his son. There was no one else more important to him than Adrien. But in that moment, Gabriel was hit with a wave of annoyance. He loved his son, but he feeling impatient, itching to get away from him so he could go into his lair and carry on with his bidding as his dark alter ego. There was despair in Paris, and Gabriel felt himself lured to it like an irresistible drug.

He fought himself and smiled at his son. "Thank you," he said. "It's a magnificent cake."

Adrien beamed, "Thank you, father! Here, let me cut you a slice."

Just as he bent down to do so, Gabriel held out his hand to stop him. "No need for that. I need to head back to work."

"Oh," Adrien said dejectedly.

Gabriel, with his back already turned towards his son, stopped in his tracks and sighed. He smiled, "On second thought, I think I am feeling a little hungry."

A warm smile crept up his face when he saw the look on Adrien's face. As his son began talking excitedly, Gabriel felt himself tuning him out as he began thinking about his grand scheme of things. Practiced smiles and perfectly timed nods graced Adrien, who was grateful for his father's presence.

Adrien handed over a slice of cake and Gabriel took small bites. His mind could only comprehend one thing, the excitement at entering his liar as Hawkmoth, and being a step closer to getting what he desires.

All of a sudden, Adrien's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Right, father?"

Gabriel, suddenly shot back to earth, back to his chambers eating cake his son made, studied the boy. Then, he nodded.

"Right."

Adrien smiled, then resumed eating his cake. Gabriel sighed in relief.

He loved his son, but he was starting to think he loved his work more.

As for Adrien, he was relieved, grateful, and pleasantly surprised that his father stayed with him. They sat together for a while, a moment that felt unending to Gabriel, but far too short for his son. With a small smile, Adrien was left alone again.

That evening, Adrien laid in his bed, staring up at the high ceiling above him. The night was silent, and Plagg's noisy snoring calmed him. Adrien leaned his head against his kwami, who was nestled in the crook of his neck. Plagg was not the most affectionate, or sweet smelling for that matter. But he was kind, caring and loving, in this own, special ways. And Adrien loved him.

As he thought about love and friendship, his mind drifted to Marinette, her gentle nature, and how she fills him with warmth. He smiled. Reaching out to grab his phone on the nightstand beside his bed, Adrien searched for her contact. He gazed at her picture on his phone for a moment before typing out his message to her.

"My father loved the cake. Thank you, Marinette," he wrote.

Adrien closed his eyes and rested his phone on his chest. She's probably already asleep, he thought to himself. A few minutes passed, then suddenly, his phone beeped in his hand.

His heart skipped a beat - from surprise, he told himself. It was a text message from Marinette.

"You must be so glad. That makes me happy."

Adrien smiled, his heart constricting. She was happy because he was happy? Before he could type out a reply, he received another text message from Marinette.

"I mean, because you're my friend. :)"

Adrien chuckled. Without thinking it through, he pressed the dial button on his phone. He brought the phone to his ear slowly, and listened to the ringing line. He held his breath, counting the number of rings.

One, two, three.

When it stopped and Adrien heard the sound of her quiet breathing on the other side, he hesitated for a moment. After a moment, he cleared his throat then whispered, "Hi."

Marinette was quiet for a while before answering. "Hi," she whispered back.

"It's me, vanilla," Adrien said softly, hoping a joke would make the situation less tense. He smiled when he heard her giggling.

"I'm sorry I called," he said, suddenly shy and embarrassed. "I just wanted to let you know, again, how grateful I am. Your help really meant a lot to me."

"Adrien," Marinette sighed, with a hint of a smile in her voice. He could almost picture her shaking her head. He smiled at the thought. "Thank you, too."

"What?" asked Adrien, confused. "Why are you thanking me?"

"For letting me be there for you."

Adrien was speechless as he felt his heart swell in his chest. "Marinette," he began tenderly, "you are truly our everyday Ladybug."

After a quiet moment, he said, "Let's go get some rest. See you at school tomorrow?"

He heard a sniffle before Marinette answered. "Yes, see you. Goodnight, Adrien."

"Goodnight, Marinette. Sweet dreams."

After they hung up, Adrien closed his eyes and smiled. He couldn't wait for a new day to rise.


End file.
